


Career Day

by Gumnut



Series: Anna Kent [1]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen, Middle School, POV Original Character, POV Outsider, younger!Tracys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24388357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gumnut/pseuds/Gumnut
Summary: It is Career Day at school for eleven year old Alan Tracy. He has just lost his father. Who will he invite?
Series: Anna Kent [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831375
Comments: 10
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Career Day  
> Author: Gumnut  
> May 2020  
> Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS  
> Rating: Teen  
> Summary: It is Career Day at school for eleven year old Alan Tracy. He has just lost his father. Who will he invite?  
> Word count: 7056  
> Spoilers & warnings: younger!Tracys, fluff, tweens  
> Timeline: Set several months after Jeff Tracy went missing.  
> Author’s note: This is one of those fics I wrote quickly in short bursts at work, at insomnia o’clock and other odd moments, so its chapters are very short.  
> Many thanks to the Thunderfam community for their amazing support for this fic and particularly @scribbles97 for reading, @onereyofstarlight for John advice went I inevitably went wibbly writing him and @hedwigstalons who poked me in the right direction at the end.  
> Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.
> 
> -o-o-o-

Anna had been a teacher for many years. She adored the job, loved watching her students discover the world around them, loved helping them towards the world that was waiting out there for them.

She had taught all levels, but she particularly enjoyed middle school. The kids were old enough to look after themselves to a certain extent and not yet meeting the challenges of teenage-hood. It was a time of exploration and self-realisation that most of the time brought a smile to her face.

Sure, not all kids were in the best situations. She often found herself fielding obstacles in children’s education whether they be personal or developmental. She would help the best she could.

So, when Career Day arrived and every student was asked to bring a parent in to talk to the class about their job, Anna was quite willing to give one of her youngest student’s a get out of Career Day free pass.

Alan Tracy was a very bright student and she was fully aware of the notability of his family and exactly who his father was. However, Jeff Tracy had been lost in a major accident earlier in the year and the poor boy had lost his mother as a baby. Newly orphaned, there was no way she could expect him to want to even attend the day at all.

But when she approached him on the topic, his blue eyes just stared at her.

“No, Ms Kent, I want to participate. Please?”

She blinked. Oh, hell, she hadn’t considered that. The year had been very bad for the youngest, well, all the Tracys. The news networks had been screaming for months. It had finally settled down and Alan had been able to return to school with a little help from the school counsellors. She had been monitoring him at length, but he appeared, grade-wise at least, to have bounced back as best he could. The class, as a whole, had been very supportive. She had spoken to his grandmother and his eldest brother over the phone on several occasions. They were good people.

She hadn’t thought he would feel left out.

“If that is what you want.”

Eager young eyes shone at her. “I want to bring one of my brothers.”

“If your brother is able to attend, he is welcome.”

Alan grinned up at her. “Okay, great.” He bounced out of the classroom.

It wasn’t until she was driving home about an hour later that she realised she had just invited one of the famed operatives of International Rescue to visit her classroom.

Oh...wow.

-o-o-o-


	2. Chapter 2

Anna was a professional. At least that’s what she told herself. She was quite proud of the fact that she managed to tell no-one about the impending visit. It helped that she was living alone at the time. Her flatmate was currently in England for some great conference. It didn’t stop her from doing the occasional internet search to check out Alan’s brothers to...you know, know what to expect.

She told herself a lot of things.

Oddly, the internet wasn’t a great deal of help. Jeff Tracy kept the identities of his sons very much under wraps. There were a few shots of the eldest, but they were blurry action shots. A few taken in cars, limousines, black, with shadowy windows. To her horror, she realised they were from the funeral of their father.

There was a lot said about them. The eldest, Scott, was a pilot, formerly of the United States Air Force had a number of awards next to his name. There was John who was apparently an astronaut. The list of credentials beside his name was phenomenal and couldn’t possibly be correct. That and she could find Jeff Tracy in the NASA listings, but no John Tracy. Virgil Tracy was another brother. She wasn’t sure which one. She found several entries regarding the name including a painter, a musician and a student out of Denver who had contributed to some major breakthrough in freight transport about five years ago, but there were no pictures and none of the entries had anything in common.

She knew Gordon Tracy. He had been a swim star at the school before Alan even entered. There was rumour that he was going to make it into the next Olympics. But again, the internet was very sparse on gossip.

It was almost as if it had been cleaned of anything to do with the brothers.

An idle thought and she threw in a search for Alan Tracy. There were plenty of them, but none appeared to be the boy she had in her class.

This was a good thing, but at the same time, she wondered how on Earth, after all the media publicity earlier in the year regarding their father, that there were no decent photographs available?

There was, of course, plenty about International Rescue. No real clear shots of the vehicles, though. One website claimed some kind of conspiracy on the GDF’s part to keep the Thunderbirds hidden as some kind of secret weapon.

Jeff Tracy’s answer to that was that the GDF would have to find them first.

The GDF spokeswoman denied to comment.

So, Anna was left to ponder the entire week as to what a Thunderbird operative would be like and what the chances might be that an aforementioned Thunderbird might appear on the sports field outside the classroom alongside the man.

If she was honest enough to admit it to herself, there may have been a few fantasies during that week, but really that would have been very unprofessional and the family had suffered a great tragedy and she was the youngest Tracy’s teacher and...

Oh, who was she kidding?

-o-o-o-


	3. Chapter 3

The day dawned lovely and sunny and Anna wished she wasn’t going to be holed up in the school building all day. Perhaps they could do some exercise later in the afternoon. She could possibly nab Bob the PE teacher and coerce him into afternoon activities.

But first up was the group of five children allotted to bring in a parent today. She had divided the class up into small groups in order to not crowd out the classroom. This was the fourth group and according to her list she had an accountant, a librarian, a retail shop assistant, a sportswoman and an emergency responder.

She bit her lip as she walked into the classroom. Several children were still fumbling with their lockers and making a last-minute dash between the desks, but five adults were standing beside the door. Each gave her a small smile and she smiled in return. Her eyes definitely did not try to work out which one was the Tracy.

Not at all.

The results were inconclusive. She knew three of them and Alma Jenkinson was hugging the fourth. That left one red-haired young man who looked decidedly awkward and uncomfortable.

Mrs Baker was up first. Little Elvis was so excited to have his mom in class, he shifted his desk to the front just by bouncing in his seat. Lily Baker was the accountant and her son had inherited her gift with numbers, proving it in every math test. She also threw out every stereotype associated with the occupation of ‘accountant’ as she was casually dressed, spoke extremely well and thoroughly entertained the class with several anecdotes that had Anna thinking perhaps she should have investigated accounting in college.

The class clapped like crazy when she finished up.

Next followed Ezra. She knew his surname as his daughter was in her class, but he only went by Ezra, on paper and in person. It was also clear that his name wasn’t his only out of the ordinary feature. He was a very tall man with ebony skin and purple hair. Bright purple hair in a tuft on his head that stuck straight up.

She admired him for keeping it up that straight and made a mental note to ask what product he used. Anna couldn’t get her hair to behave at all. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

It was also a very attractive purple.

Ezra was a librarian and a born performer. He had the kids eating out of his hand. Their eyes sparkling as if they were pre-schoolers again.

All of them except Alan Tracy.

The blond was sitting towards the back, his expression worried. He kept looking towards the door.

Anna frowned. It was as if he was waiting for someone.

Another glance at the parents...five...no, the red-haired man was talking to Alma, a frown on his face that could almost have been considered a pout. The woman standing next to him elbowed him in the ribs and made it very clear she was his parent.

That meant no Tracy.

Aw, hell.

Alan’s eyes continued to dart to the door.

He had confirmed yesterday that one of his brothers would be attending. She hoped they knew how much this meant to Alan.

She felt it had been very brave of him to nominate a brother, particularly considering the recentness of his bereavement.

In that moment, the fact his brothers were Thunderbirds fell by the wayside and Alan was a special student who just needed his family. Of course, considering their occupations, if they didn’t make it, it was likely due to the ‘emergency’ part in emergency responder. So, it wasn’t like they would be neglecting their little brother.

Didn’t make it much easier though.

In the back of her head she started working out post presentations distractions that might help. There was always science. She could always bring science class forward. Alan always adored science.

But halfway through Mrs Jenkinson’s presentation, the door flew open and a young dark-haired man rushed into the room.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, Ms Kent.” He was out of breath, his hair askew and his shirt was buttoned out of sequence.

Alan shot to his feet, hurried forward and grabbed the man by his arm and dragged him towards the back of the room.

Anna blinked. “Mr Tracy?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Welcome to our classroom.” And she realised what she thought had been a smudge of beard was actually a smudge of dirt smeared across his cheek.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Alan said something and his older brother bent down, placing a hand on his shoulder. All she heard was a whisper of baritone. “He’s trying.”

Anna cleared her throat and both Tracys startled. The whole room was staring at them. The older man stood up, tired brown eyes apologetic. Alan took one look at her and his brother before darting back to his seat.

But he still didn’t stop looking at the door.

-o-o-o-


	4. Chapter 4

Unfortunately, it was again Mrs Jenkinson who was interrupted by another Tracy tearing through the door.

The whole room stopped and stared at the young teenager who appeared in little more than a pair of hot pink board shorts and a towel.

Anna recognised Gordon Tracy with ease. The boy’s hair was wet and the faint smell of chlorine was introduced to the room.

“Sorry I’m late, Ms Kent.” However, his grin was mischievous as he glanced across the class until his eyes landed on a facepalming Alan. The dark-haired Tracy at the back of the room made his way politely towards Gordon and with an apologetic nod at Anna, dragged his protesting brother to the back of the room.

The words ‘What are you doing here?’, followed by ‘Are you kidding? I couldn’t miss this!’, both whispered far too loudly, had Anna wondering whether she should flex her preschool muscles to get the class attention back.

“My apologies for the interruption, ma’am.” The first Tracy nodded to Anna and then to Mrs Jenkinson. “Ma’am.”

The pout on Gordon’s face was somewhat spoiled by the grinning wink in Alan’s direction. To Anna’s surprise, Alan returned the grin and sat up straighter.

The elder Tracy was frowning a glare worthy of any parent at the teenager beside him.

“Welcome to the classroom, Mr Tracy.” Her tactic worked as that wet, strawberry blond head turned in her direction. The impish grin reminded her of exactly how much of a challenge the fish Tracy had actually been. A good kid, but one hell of a handful. There had been much communication between the school and Jeff Tracy regarding Gordon Tracy.

The thought of what had happened to the man who had parented these kids broke her heart in that moment.

She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Mrs Jenkinson. Please continue.”

Anna spent the next ten minutes trying to keep her attention on the retail shop assistant while the ever energetic Gordon Tracy wriggled at the back the class.

The next parent up was almost as much a treat as the Tracys themselves. Tracey Sampson may not have the money of the Tracys but her skill in both the pool and athletics in general was known the world over.

As she stepped to the front of the class, there was a gasp of ‘Oh my god!’ and a scuffle at the back of the class. She glanced over to find Gordon’s eyes staring at Ms Sampson. The elder Tracy had his hand around Gordon’s bicep.

Alan was silently giggling.

Anna found herself clearing her throat to gain the class attention yet again.

Ms Sampson had a small smile on her face and a raised eyebrow. A nod from Anna and she gave an outline of what was required to get into her profession, the Olympics and sponsorship. Fortunately, Gordon stood staring the entire time, his face the picture of information absorption. The rest of the class was almost as equally fascinated and they had a good length of no interruption by any Tracy.

Which was both good and bad as Anna didn’t fail to notice that Alan was still sending worried glances at both the door and the windows.

The eldest Tracy at the back of the room kept fiddling with his collar and mouthing words she couldn’t hear.

The frown on his face was ready to split him down the middle.

He caught her glance at one point and that frown softened in apology. There was definitely something going on.

But Ms Sampson continued uninterrupted and as time moved on Alan’s shoulders dropped just that fraction lower. She found herself caught up in the hidden drama, her own shoulders dropping as Ms Sampson brought her talk to an end after answering numerous questions. As she stepped aside, the gap at the front of the class became very apparent.

Alan’s expression was crestfallen.

The eldest Mr Tracy appeared resigned and took the necessary steps towards the front of the class as Anna sent him a questioning look.

He turned to face the class and straightened his shoulders. “Hi, everyone. I’m Virgil Tracy. My occupation is in engineering, aviation, logistics, explosives and emergency response.”

The class was staring. Everyone knew who Virgil Tracy was.

Pilot of Thunderbird Two.

Anna, of course, knew it all in theory. She had read about the man several times over the last week. Intellectually, she knew Alan was a member of that amazing family, and yes, she was fangirling big time, but it was difficult to match this reserved, worried young man with messy hair and what appeared to be a permanent frown, with the hero of legend.

At the back of the room, Gordon Tracy had a much more sombre expression on his face, his attention darting between Virgil and Alan. She didn’t neglect to notice that he had managed to edge closer to Ms Sampson, though.

“You’re the pilot of Thunderbird Two?” It was Elvis who broke the tableau.

Virgil nodded down at the eager student who was again bouncing in his seat enough for his desk to edge closer to the front. “Yes, I am.” The class muttered in some amazement at that admission.

Turning back to the class as a whole, Virgil continued. “My main role is equipment specialisation and transportation. I also provide structural analysis and support in those situations that involve collapses of various kinds.”

“Don’t forget your medical qualifications, Virg.” Gordon piped up from the back with a grin on his face.

The flat-eyed stare Virgil sent him was brief but direct. “I’m also a trained paramedic.”

“That is a lot of education, Mr Tracy. How did you become so specialised?” Anna prompted him.

He glanced at her and she was hit with that warm brown gaze. “Uh, lots of training. I have a degree in Engineering from Denver, but I’m a strong believer in life long education.” He turned to the class. “School is only the beginning, guys. It gives you the basics. From there you can build on what you know until you become what you want to be.” He shrugged. “And not everything requires a piece of paper. You want to know something? We are in the age of information. Find out how, or why or what and learn what you want or need to know.”

“Tell us about the Thunderbirds!” It came from Sam Ellis at the back of the class.

“She’s big and green.” And Virgil let out the first smile she had seen on his face since he walked in the room. “Sure, the Thunderbirds are pretty amazing, but they are only machines. I’m thinking what you need to know is what the careers attached to emergency response require.”

“Have you ever flown aboard Thunderbird Three?” This from young Gemma, her hand waving in the air.

Virgil’s smooth baritone answered calmly. “I have.”

“Who is piloting Thunderbird Three now?”

Virgil froze. Jeff Tracy was the pilot of Thunderbird Three. She moved to stand up, but Virgil straightened where he stood. “We have several pilots capable of handling Three. Whoever is available at the time is responsible for space rescue.”

Alan was frowning across the room at his brother.

Anna was struck with the sudden realisation that Alan may be working to attain such a position. A blink. Five brothers, five Thunderbirds. It was obvious. Well, not so much with Gordon. The kid was far more interested in swimming, but Four was a submarine, wasn’t it? She wondered who was piloting it at the moment.

She frowned slightly at Virgil and idly wondered.

The man ran his hand through his messy hair and opened his mouth to continue only to be cut off by a sudden looming roar. His eyes widened in unmistakeable hope as he turned to the school room windows.

The roar swooped in closer and Anna’s jaw dropped as the famed rocket plane, Thunderbird One appeared and touched down in the middle of the school’s sports field, VTOL flaring orange against the green turf.

The whole class let out a gasp.

Except for Alan Tracy who simply said, “Yes!”

-o-o-o-


	5. Chapter 5

Anna couldn’t get a good view of who exited the Thunderbird. Between the children and the adults crowded at the window and the rosemary bush that supplied her kitchen every now and again, all she could see was a seat that lowered from the front with someone in blue and the school principal making a crazed dash out onto the green.

Mr Tracy was still standing at the front of the class, but no one was paying him any attention. He didn’t seem to mind, though his expression was thoughtful as he stared out the window just like everyone else.

Gordon, on the other hand, appeared to be much more interested in Tracey Sampson. He had planted himself right next to the woman, who was staring at the Thunderbird, and appeared to be attempting to gain her attention.

“Okay, everyone. Back to your seats.”

“But Ms Kent, it’s a Thunderbird!”

“And Mr Tracy pilots a Thunderbird. Have you forgotten that?”

Several heads turned around to look at Virgil. He smiled at them. But apparently the physical presence of the rocket plane outside the window was hard to compete with, because they immediately turned back.

Anna shot Virgil an apologetic look and he shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.” The grin that followed set his messed up hair just that step the other side of crazy.

“Children, back to your seats please.”

There were grumblings and Anna had to glare as several of the parents to get them to move away from the windows, but by the time there was a knock on the classroom door, the class was settled.

Mr Tracy made his way over to the door and opened it. The principal of the school stood in the doorway. “Ms Kent, your class has a visitor.” She stepped aside to reveal a tall man all in blue.

The blue matched his eyes and the confidence he exuded was a physical thing.

And dimples.

The man had a set of gorgeous dimples that were incredibly distracting.

Professionalism, Anna!

As he strode into the room, she realised he was sporting a few dirt smears of his own. She idly wondered what International Rescue had been doing this morning.

“Sorry, we’re late, Ms Kent.” The soft smile he shot her sent her brain offline a moment.

“Um.” So much for professionalism.

She vaguely registered Virgil Tracy rolling his eyes. “Ms Kent, this is my eldest brother, Scott Tracy, the Commander of International Rescue.”

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Totally on automatic. There was no brain behind it at all.

“Anyway, Scott, Gordon’s up the back, we might as well join him.”

Huh?

She did nothing as Virgil herded his brother to the back of the room where Gordon was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and the three of them stood together. Alan was suddenly hugging the eldest, mutterings of thank you, thank you, thank you, bounced across the room.

Wha-?

Someone cleared their throat.

She turned back to the front of the class only to encounter another man in blue.

There was another one?

This man was different. Tall and slim with kind eyes, similar to Virgil’s but a completely different colour. Actually, she wasn’t quite sure how to describe them. They were an unworldly blue-green that contrasted abruptly with the shock of red hair on the man’s head.

“Ms Kent? I’m John Tracy. I’m here to speak for Alan’s Career Day.”

-o-o-o-


	6. Chapter 6

She stared at the man a moment. John Tracy was the supposed astronaut with the outrageous number of letters on the end of his name. A blink and she realised he was wearing what could possibly be considered some kind of space suit. He even had a helmet under one arm.

Pull yourself together, Anna. Really.

No dimples, but there was an aura of Greek god, and that suit was very, very tight.

Oh, for the love of-!

“Welcome to the classroom, Mr Tracy.”

“Do you fly Thunderbird One?” Alma shouted the question across the room.

John smiled a little. “No, I’m the pilot of Thunderbird Five.”

That sent the class muttering and Anna realised that John Tracy must be The Voice who Answers.

Standing in her classroom.

This was getting ridiculous.

“Mr Tracy.” Three heads at the back of the room as well as the one at the front turned towards her. Okay, this could get confusing. “What do you do aboard Thunderbird Five?”

For a moment there, he seemed hesitant and unsure, his fingers tapping silently on the tablet he held in one hand, but it vanished quickly. “I provide communication and coordination for International Rescue. I’m also our space specialist and an astronaut.”

“Are you wearing a spacesuit?” It was little Gemma again. This was right up her alley. Her career goal was definitely astro-inclined.

John turned to the blonde girl. “Yes, it is. I spend a great deal of time in space, so I need to wear this suit. However, it also assists me when I’m on Earth for short periods of time. Living in orbit has some physical challenges that the suit can help me with.”

“Your bones melt in space.” Rory really was the sensationalist and attention seeker in the class.

“They do not!” Alan was back in his seat and glaring at the other boy.

“No, they do not.” John’s voice was calm, but firm. “But living in space can have some detrimental effects on bone density if we are not careful.”

“Sounds like bone melting to me.”

“Shut up, Rory.”

“Alan. Rory.” Her tone cut across the class. “Respect our guest.”

Alan’s eyes widened and he sat back in his seat. Rory just rolled his eyes. At the back of the room, she became vaguely aware of a frown on Scott Tracy’s face.

She turned back to John. “Our apologies, Mr Tracy. Please continue.”

He nodded once at her before obviously taking in a breath and turning back to the class. “Is anyone here interested in working in space?”

Gemma, of course, jumped up immediately, her hand shooting into the air. Three other students raised their hands, as did Alan.

“That is good to hear. A career in space can be very fulfilling. It is a challenging path, but fully attainable if you put the effort in. You will need to excel in mathematics, science, language and communication with a good dose of the humanities thrown in.”

“Humanities? Why do you need that for space?” Gemma appeared put out at the idea. Her grades in the social sciences explained that expression quite readily.

A copper brow raised in her direction. “In space, humanity is more important than anywhere else. You realise how isolated we are. You realise that your own culture is one of many. You realise that we only have each other and investing the time in understanding those around us is important.”

“Tell them how many languages you speak, John.” Alan’s eyes were shining.

His big brother smiled just a little. I can speak thirty-two languages reasonably fluently and can decipher another eleven.” He swallowed as if suddenly a little self-conscious. “Not including computer languages.”

“You can speak computer languages?!” Gemma again, her eyes wide.

“Technically, yes, but they are more traditionally written languages.”

“He’s a total whiz with a computer.” Alan was grinning. “You should have seen what he did to Gordon’s remote-controlled submersible.”

“Hey!” The swimmer at the back of the room tried to pull away from Virgil.

In vain.

“It was so cool!”

“Okay, Alan, that’s enough. I’m here to talk about space.”

“I don’t see what’s so cool about space.” Rory had his arms crossed and looked decidedly bored. “Just a whole lot of nothing out there anyway.”

Turquoise eyes fastened on the boy and Anna was a little alarmed as a fire lit up behind them. “How much do you know about space?” John’s voice was calm and level, but the potential in those words was unsettling.

Rory sat up a little straighter, his usual defiance on his face. “My dad says that only those people who can’t get a good job on Earth resort to working in space. He says its cold, dark and empty, not to mention boring.”

The copper arch of an eyebrow. “He does, does he?” John placed his helmet a small table beside the presentation board behind him. Turning back to the class he held up his tablet. “Ms Kent, could we please shade the windows and dim the lights?”

Blink. Oh, Ms Kent meant her. “Certainly.” She reached over and toggled the control for the lighting. There were a couple of groans as Thunderbird One disappeared from sight as the windows blacked out.

Moments after the light dimmed, the room was suddenly filled with spinning planets. A massive hologram of the sun blossomed above their heads and nine planets and various dwarf planets demonstrated their sped up orbits, spinning spheres of a variety of bright colours danced around their heads.

“Empty is a relative concept.” John’s voice spoke out of nowhere. “These are a large portion of our near-earth bodies, incorporating our solar system, asteroid belts and a portion of the Oort cloud. I have no doubt that Ms Kent or your other teachers have taught you the names of many of these, but let me introduce you to their personalities.”

-o-o-o-


	7. Chapter 7

John Tracy was an amazing man. Anna was definitely more on the arts side of the arts/science divide, but she could appreciate the world around her and, in this case, the worlds beyond. He ran them through a number of the planets, moons and asteroid belts, expanding on each with either a personal story regarding his studies or actual commentary on visiting them.

He had truly been to some amazing places.

And those places were brought into three dimensions by the display spinning around her classroom.

“My dad says special effects are merely an attempt to make up for poor story telling.” Rory actually stood up, putting his head right into the middle of the blue model of Uranus as it rotated above him.

He either didn’t notice or did it on purpose.

John simply arched an eyebrow, his copper hair an odd shade in the blue light. He poked at the tablet and the display changed. The solar system was replaced with one planet and a multitude of moons. Jupiter was massive, but this display was mostly static, only the slightest of movements visible with the exception of several tiny dots orbiting the rainbow planet.

“This is Jupiter-“

“More special effects?”

Anna couldn’t see the expression John sent the young boy, but it silenced him immediately.

“As I was saying, this is Jupiter. A live feed from Thunderbird Five.”

A live feed? “We are looking at Jupiter right now?”

The astronaut turned to Anna, a small smile on his face. “There is a time delay due to the distance, but yes, this is Jupiter today.”

Anna stared at the massive planet in the middle of her classroom.

Wow.

John walked amongst the desks and approached the behemoth of a planet. His finger pointed out Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. When he reached Io, he grabbed the moon. With a gesture he enlarged the satellite and brought it into focus. Jupiter became little more than a red spotted, massive presence hanging over the room, its arc expanded far beyond the projection available.

“As a rescue organisation, International Rescue needs onsite oversight at all times.” He held up the moon, now at least a foot across. “Say the scientific outpost orbiting Io ran into difficulties.” He enlarged the moon even more until a large satellite became visible circling the volcano-infested Galilean. “We need eyes onsite wherever we are needed.” Another flick of his fingers and the focus became the outpost, its rickety man-made existence far less enthralling than its surroundings. “This is part of what I do.”

Anna was mesmerised as was the rest of the class.

Except for Alan, who, apparently, was already familiar with this display. “Tell them about Thunderbird Three.”

John smiled at his little brother. “Thunderbird Three is our space rescue vehicle.”

“It’s a giant red rocket.” Alan was almost bouncing in his seat. “My Dad flew her to Io once. Totally cool.”

John didn’t flinch, but he did pause a moment. “Thunderbird Three is fully capable of reaching the Jupiter system and has done on several occasions due to various situations.”

“Dad blew up a comet!”

Anna blinked. Really?

John straightened his already straight shoulders. “Alan.”

“It was so cool. It was going to take out the relay station on Callisto. They couldn’t evacuate fast enough. Dad made it there with Uncle Lee and kaboom!”

“Alan!” This time it came from the Commander of International Rescue at the back of the room.

Alan startled, stared at Scott before slumping where he sat. “It was cool.” It was also grumpy and put out.

Beyond Io, Scott Tracy took a step forward. “I’m sorry, Ms Kent, International Rescue specifics are not available for general discussion. Alan knows this. Apologies for the interruption.”

There was disgruntled muttering from Alan’s direction.

Neither Tracy seemed to be aware that the entire room was staring at them.

John cleared his throat and eyes turned back to him. “It _was_ cool.” The smile curving his lips was directed solely at Alan.

Anna found herself smiling as the youngest Tracy looked up at his brother and brightened.

This was an interesting family in interesting circumstances, but she could see that the brothers had their own dynamic.

But anyway, they were running late and lunch was fast approaching. Spectacular live feeds or not, Mr Tracy did not want to face a room full of hungry tweens. “Mr Tracy, how did you become an astronaut?”

She found herself again targeted by a questioning eyebrow before he turned back to the class. “I studied hard. If you want to become an astronaut, you need to push your limits. Don’t settle for average, because in space, it won’t be enough. Your life is in your hands and the hands of the people you work with.”

“Who do you work with?” Gemma was waving her hand around above her head but obviously was far too impatient to wait to be asked.

“International Rescue is unique. We are an independent organisation. We operate and staff our own equipment. I work with my elder brothers Scott and Virgil. They are both space rated.”

Gemma’s eyes widened as she turned to look at the two men at the back of the room. “They’re astronauts, too?”

John smiled almost fondly. “It is not their preferred environment, but yes, they are both capable space pilots.”

“What does Thunderbird Five look like?”

A brief glance towards the back of the room and John picked up the tablet he had put down to direct the holographic interface. A swipe of his hand and Jupiter disappeared to be replaced by a satellite. A ring spun slowly around a central core, solar panels fanned out like tail feathers and a bright number five graced one end. The word ‘Thunderbird’ was emblazoned down its length.

“This is Thunderbird Five. From here I can respond to any emergency planet wide and beyond.”

Anna frowned at the hologram. It was nowhere near as clear as the previous display. Perhaps it was being delivered a different way? But then she realised certain parts of the Thunderbird were blurred.

Oh.

“Why is it blurry?” Gemma was sharp and less inhibited by social custom.

“International Rescue demands a certain level of privacy for our safety and the safety of others.” The statement did not invite further questions.

Perhaps it was time for her to wrap this up. “Mr Tracy, thank you so much for coming in today. Does anyone have any further questions?”

Gemma’s hand shot up immediately. “How do you get to work with International Rescue? Would I be able to fly a Thunderbird one day?”

All eyes focussed on John.

The astronaut frowned a little. “International Rescue is currently a private organisation and we are not accepting applications at this time.” John glanced at his brother at the back of the room and Anna watched something pass between them.

“So, I won’t be able to fly Thunderbird Three? Even if I work really hard?” Gemma sounded so disappointed.

John’s shoulders dropped just a fraction. “Not currently, but the future is unknown. And besides there are plenty of excellent other craft in service to aim for.”

“What about Alan? What if he wants to become an astronaut? Will he get to fly Thunderbird Three?”

John eyed his little brother, a small smile on his face. “If Alan wants to and works hard enough, yes, one day he might do exactly that.”

A snort from Rory. “A Tracy only club.”

But Anna was distracted by Alan slowly rising from his seat, shock on his face. “I could fly Thunderbird Three?”

-o-o-o-


	8. Chapter 8

The amazement on Alan’s face was a physical thing. First, he stared at John, but then he spun and targeted Scott with his eyes. In the dark it was hard to see the expression on the Commander’s face, but she did see the single nod.

“Really?”

Scott’s voice was deep with authority. “If you focus on your studies and learn what is needed.”

“Dad’s ship.”

There was silence for a moment and Anna’s heart broke right there and then. But it was Virgil, a quiet voice from the dark, who answered. “It was always your ship, Alan.”

“I don’t see why Alan can do it, but the rest of us can’t. My dad says rich people keep everything for themselves and don’t share with us nobodies.”

“Rory!” Anna’s voice cut across the room.

Thunderbird Five disappeared and the room fell dark. Soft words broke the sudden silence. “I’m finished, Ms Kent. You can turn the lights back on.” In the darkness there was a muffled sound and the clatter of chair legs against a desk.

When she brought the lights back up and unshaded the windows, she found out why. Alan was in Scott’s arms hugging as if his life depended on it. For a split second she thought it might be with happiness, but a sudden sob and the heart-breaking expression that flickered across the eldest Tracy’s face revealed the truth of the matter.

Aw, hell.

John Tracy grabbed his tablet and helmet and made his way to the back of the class.

Time for her to take back control. The lunch bell was about to toll anyway. “Okay, everyone. Please thank our parents...and relatives for coming in today. I expect you all to put some thought into your own career goals, because tomorrow we are starting a project on exactly that.” The bell rang and the room erupted. “Tidy up and I’ll see you after lunch.”

As the class dispersed, multiple eyes raked over the huddle of Tracys at the back of the room. Rory grabbed his cohorts and made loud comments about the ‘rich’ and ‘cry-babies’ as they walked out. The irony was that Rory’s parents weren’t poor. He came from a long line of privileged people.

Anna sighed.

And eyed Gordon, caught between a hero and a crying brother. She watched as he darted over to Ms Sampson and spoke quickly to her. She smiled down at him and nodded. Gordon grinned a second before hurrying back to his brother, butting in between Virgil and Scott and grabbing the youngest Tracy. “C’mon, Allie, let’s blow this joint.”

“Gordon-“ Scott was frowning, but Virgil reached out and touched his arm. Something passed between them and Scott relented.

Anna realised that she was now alone in the classroom with five Tracy brothers.

Gordon dragged Alan to one side, poking and prodding his little brother enough to force distraction and finally a reluctant smile from the eleven-year-old. The eldest Tracy made his way between the desks directly for Anna.

“I had intended on speaking to you before this, but we had a callout this morning.” That much was obvious. Was that a leaf in his hair? It was only a little one, but yeah, definitely a leaf. “We will be taking Alan with us this afternoon. It is his grandmother’s birthday tomorrow and we are hoping to do something special for her. She would love it if Alan could attend.”

Gordon was ruffling Alan’s hair. The swimmer’s grin was almost splitting his face in two. Alan was growling at him.

Anna blinked. “Certainly. Just fill out the usual absentee form. Was it only the day?”

Scott nodded. “Just a bit of a long weekend. Does he have anything due?”

“We were going to discuss magnesium this afternoon in Science. Its use in sparklers and fireworks. Do you know the theory?”

Scott snorted. “Hey, Virgil, Alan needs to learn about magnesium and fireworks. Feel like playing tonight?”

The crazy haired man turned in their direction. “Sure.”

Gordon turned around. “Did you say fireworks? Virg, you gonna do a display? Can we have a Tracy fizzler? Please, I missed the last one. It’s Grandma’s birthday.” He continued to plead at his brother, hounding the man without giving him a chance to answer.

Anna just stared as Scott rolled his eyes. “Now I’ve done it.”

“You make fireworks?”

Scott smirked. “Virgil’s an explosives expert with an artistic streak. He knows what he is doing.” Anna didn’t miss the fond glance in his brother’s direction. Virgil was now fending off both Alan and Gordon while John stood back and shared a smirk very similar to Scott’s. “Trust me, he’ll get a good education. Virgil’s extremely safety conscious and will use both theory and practical to get his point across.”

“Well, I have to say that Alan is very lucky to have such a knowledgeable family around him.”

The smirk faded a little. “Yeah, he is.” A pause. “Thank you, Ms Kent for having us. Apologies for the class disruptions.”

“No, no, thank you, Mr Tracy.” She spread her arms out. “And you, John, for your wonderful presentation. That was amazing.”

The man blushed. “You’re welcome.”

Really?

“Alan, did you want to grab your things?”

Her student stopped hounding his dark-haired brother and turned back to look at her. “Oh, yes. Thank you, Ms Kent.”

“I hope your Grandmother has a happy birthday.”

“Oh, she will. Virgil’s gonna make a Tracy fizzler!” He grabbed his tablet from his desk. He hesitated a moment before hurrying over to her and giving her a quick hug. “Thank you, Ms Kent, for allowing me to bring my brothers.”

Anna smiled. “No, Alan, thank you. You have an amazing family.”

He grinned up at her. “See you next week.” With that he grabbed Gordon, told his brothers to hurry up and dashed out of the room.

The three elder Tracy brothers followed at a much more sedate pace, Scott ribbing Virgil about his shirt and hair. The shirt was hastily rebuttoned and his face was scrubbed by a sleeve.

The room was very empty when they left.

If she stared out the window as Thunderbird One lifted off the ground, she wasn’t afraid to admit it. If her jaw dropped five minutes later as another rocket tore over the school, a green streak gaining height in the distance, the only proof, so be it.

After all, she’d met the men behind the machines, and they were far more amazing than any rocket could possibly ever be.

-o-o-o-

FIN.


End file.
